Manatees take refuge from boats in local Manatee Lagoon

Every year, as Florida's coastal waters get colder, Manatee Lagoon’s waters provide season-long refuge for manatees, one of the state's most cherished species. Located in West Palm Beach, Manatee Lagoon attracts visitors between November and March, the manatee migration season, who are curious to learn more about the endangered species and how they play a role in manatee survival. The question particularly concerns boat-owners. 

These large, slow-moving animals flock to warm local springs from cold coastal waters, where 72 degree water is always available as protection. Manatees migrate because they are sensitive to temperature changes. 

Statue of manatees in West Palm Beach, Florida. Photo Credit: Hannah Tichenor

One of the greatest threats to manatees in migration are boat collisions. Since they move slowly, manatees tend to be extra susceptible to, and tend to be most subject to boat collision. The collision is likely to cause serious harm or fatality.

Jules Antel, a student at Palm Beach Atlantic studying marine conservation, discussed how human boat traffic affects manatee migration.

"Human activity plays a significant role in manatee migration; collisions with boats can cause serious harm to manatees while they are migrating,” said Antel “The injuries may hinder the animal's ability to feed, swim, or navigate, and if not treated, they can often result in infections or death.”

Boat traffic harms manatees in a variety of ways while they are migrating. In addition to causing physical harm through accidents, boat traffic has the potential to disrupt their natural migratory behavior and put them under unnecessary stress during their most vulnerable time.

For such reasons, such interventions such as "manatee zones" where boat speeds are governed and education to the general population on safe boat operation, are crucial to protect such endangered animals in migration season.

Rachel Shanker, a Conservation & Education Manager at Manatee Lagoon, discussed the seasonal patterns the Lagoon notices among manatees every year.

Manatees migrate to warm waters to survive the winter months, avoid cold stress, and maintain their body temperature in a range where they can remain active and healthy.

“They will migrate here when we get those contestant cold fronts that stick around and drop the water temperature.” Shanker says “We will start seeing them in the early fall and winter, and they will hang out until late winter early spring,” said Shanker. 

While manatees have the capability to wander large distances, they only putter in a limited range. Manatees swim between 30 and 100 miles or up to in warmer waters. There also are manatees who only wander small distances depending on how cold the surrounding water is.

Manatee Lagoon. Photo Credit: Hannah Tichenor

Manatees primarily live in seagrasses, a critical habitat that boat engines can physically maul. The wash of a propellor will also knock and obliterate beds of seagrass and a primary aspect of manatees' diet of the manatees' diet.

“Manatees will migrate to Manatee Lagoon when we get those consistent cold fronts that kind of stick around, linger and drop the water temperatures and that typically happens early late fall early winter and they hang around until late winter early spring,” said Shanker. 

By Hannah Tichenor